MARIETTA, Ohio — Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s ribbon-cutting tour celebrating Appalachian Community Grant Program projects across Southeast Ohio continues into November, with ceremonies still ahead in Morristown and Athens after a week of celebrations in Sardis, Pomeroy and Logan.
The Marietta-based council is joining community leaders, project partners and residents for the series of ceremonies recognizing investments that support community revitalization, tourism, cultural heritage and quality of life throughout Appalachian Ohio. The tour’s October stops celebrated the Ecotone Amphitheater in Sardis on Oct. 19, the Pomeroy Riverfront Revitalization on Oct. 20 and the Logan Streetscape on Oct. 21, with a Zanesville project also part of the series.
Two ceremonies remain on the calendar. The Underground Railroad Museum in Morristown will be celebrated Friday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. at 297 W. Cross St., and the Southeast Ohio History Center in Athens follows on Friday, Nov. 20, at 3:30 p.m.
“The Appalachian Community Grant Program is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment in our region. These projects are creating lasting change and opening doors for future generations,” Buckeye Hills Regional Council Executive Director Chasity Schmelzenbach said. “We’re excited to celebrate alongside the state and local leaders and partners who made these investments possible.”
The Appalachian Community Grant Program, known as ACGP, has funded projects across Ohio’s Appalachian counties aimed at strengthening local communities, enhancing regional attractions and creating new opportunities for residents and visitors. The ribbon cuttings mark the completion of projects that local partnerships carried from application to finished work.
Buckeye Hills Regional Council serves as the region’s development district, working with counties, villages and cities across Southeast Ohio on planning and investment. The council invites community members, local officials and regional partners to join the remaining November celebrations.
For Athens, the Nov. 20 ceremony caps the tour at the Southeast Ohio History Center, the regional history museum on West State Street — a fitting final stop for a grant program whose projects lean heavily on the region’s heritage as an economic asset.
Photo: Stch2022, CC BY-SA